Paving block



Dec. 11, 1923. 1,476,957

5. L. DRESSER PAVING BLOCK Filed Aug. 10 1920 10 I WW i/Zine sss': 1720612501:

- ogge 52]886 er WW 7 /1M4 F'atentecl Dec. 11, 1923.

UNITED STATES GEORGE L. DRESSER, OF ALBANY, NEVT YORK.

PAVING BLOCK.

Application filed August 10, 1920. Serial No. 02,516.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon L. Dnnssnn, a citizen of the United States, residingin Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paving Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in wood pavements.

One object of the invention is to provide a wood pavement, the blocks of which are simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture.

Another object is to provide a wood pavement having blocks contoured for arrangement in operative relation to each other to form the pavement, which contouring is not liable to fracture or splinter during transportation or handling of the blocks.

One feature of the invention exists in so contouring the blocks that contacting side faces and end faces of adjacent blocks provide space between the blocks for filler.

Another feature exists in so contouring the blocks that contacting side faces and end faces of adjacent blocks provide space between the blocks for filler, the contacting side faces and end faces at the point of common contact forming a dam for retaining the filler in said spaces.

Another feature exists in so contouring the blocks that contacting side faces and end faces of adjacent blocks provide space be tween the blocks whereby expansion and contraction ofthe blocks is accommodated. 7

Another feature exists in so contouring the blocks that contacting side faces and end faces of adjacent blocks provide space between the blocks whereby expansion and contraction of the blocks is accommodated, and forming dams for retaining filler in said space, the efficiency of which dams is not affected by the expansion and contrac- ,tion of the blocks.

These and other objects, features and capabilities of the invention will appear in the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a wood block used in my pavement;

Figures 2, 3and 4 are top or plan views of other forms of wood block which may be used in my pavement.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a pavement embodying the invention.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section of a pavement embodying the invention, looking in the direction of the arrow of Similar letters or numerals denote similar parts throughout the several views.

The pavement is comprised of blocks, preferably of wood, which blocks when of wood may be treated with anysuitable substance or material for strengthening or preserving the blocks.

The wood block A, shown in Fig. 1, has a top or wear face 10, and a bottom road-engaging face opposite and corresponding thereto, and has a straight vertical side 11, an inwardly contoured side 12, the inward contour as shown being a re-entrant recess '13, a straight vertical end 1 1, and a vertical end 15 which inclines or slants from the re cessed side 12 in the direction of the straight vertical side 11.

To assemble the blocks to form the pavement, referring to Fig. 5, in which three series of blocks are shown for purpose of illustration, the blocks are laid wear faces 10 upward adjacent to each other upon a suitably prepared road bed surface and in com pressed relation between the curbs CC, or between other suitable confining means, the blocks such as 10 and 10" being sustained or held in position by the block 10 and in staggered relation thereto, and the block 10 being sustained or held in position by the blocks 10 and 10 which are in staggered relation to the block 10 the engagement or contact at 16 of the slanting or inclined vertical end 15 of the b lockl 10 with the straight vertical end lt of the block 10", and the contacts or engagement at 17 and 18 of the ends of the vertical recessed side 12 of the block 10 with the straight vertical sides 11 of the blocks 10 and 10 sustaining or holding the blocks 10 10* and 10 in operative relation, and forming a space 19 between these blocks for receiving filler and for accommodating the expansion and contraction of the blocks, and providing a means or dam at the points 16, 17 and 18 for reventing in three directions escape of filler or bond from the space 19; it being noted that any movement of the blocks 10, :10" and 10, due to expansion or contraction or for any other reason, will cause accommodating movement or sliding of these blocks; atthe contacting or engaging points 16, lT'and 18, "and will not affect the'holding or sustaining capability of the blocks, nor the damming capabilitv of the contact or engagement between the blocks at the points 16, 17 and 18. It will also benoted that my construction of blocks and the arrangement thereof to form the pavement allows accommodation of the blocks to the curvature or crown of' the road-bed-upon which the pavement is laid, and provides a corresponding curvatureor crown -to the Pa eme 4 In the form of block A, Fig. 1, the s ace between the vertical-end 15 of a bloc A and'the' straight vertical-end ll of an adj acentbloclr" A, when these" blocks are in operativerelation, is formed by the angle of the slant or incline of the end15." In the formof blockiB, Fig. 2, two vertical slanting oi inclined ends 20 and 21 are provided, theangleof slant or inc-line being distributedbetween the two ends, and providing spacejbetween afdjacentblocks BB of sub stantially the same area as'between blocks AA, theiblocks i'BB functioning similar to the blocks "In )thQi'fOlIIl of block'D,

.liig. 3, which is a preferred form of block,

the end 223 13 slanting or inclined for only part of the distance fromthe side 12 to the side 11, and the inwardcdntouror recess 23 extends only part wayv of the distance between' the end 141 and thefend'QQ, thus leaving straight facedfportions 2 1, 25 and 26, ofthe-block for ontact or engagement with adjacent blocks, the advantage being that this constrliotion provides longer contacting or engaging surfaces between the blocks'for sustaining and damming purposes, and that the blocks are less liable to splinter or fracture at'tl'iese points in transportationand handling than the form of bloc-ks A, B' and E, although the liability of these blocks A,

VB" and 'to fracture or splinter is small,

andmuch less than the liability of blocks which have ribs; or protruding portions thereof extending therefrom.

' Int-he form of block E, Fig. 4:,instead of an inciinedend 15, a curved vertical end 27 is provided, and the inward contour or recess28 of the side 12 is curved, thefunotion of the block being the same as block A, but providing greater space for filler or bond between it and adjacent cooperating blocks.

It will be noted that theiblocks of the in termediate series are sustainedpr held in position at three pointshythe contact of blocks of the adjacent series, as shown by the'triangular lines, Fig. 5, and it is obvlous that the threepoint contact thus disa closed, not only permits the blocks to be held 'in operative relation as a roadbed. but ln' addition to all of the foregoing noted advantages the wood blocks are free to warp to an unprecedented extent without interference with their road forming functions or the bond that unites them into a single surface.

Having thus described my invention it should be understood that there may be modifications thereof and variations thciein without departing from the spirit of the invention oi exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A- paving block of general horizontal rectangular cross-section, one of whose vertical sides is depressed and one of the sides adjacent thereto cut away therefrom to provide edge portions for purpose of making contacts with the fourth face of an adjoining block.

2. A paving block of general horizontal rectangular cross-section, one of the vertical sides'of which is depressed and one of the sides adjacent thereto is straight and the other side adjacent thereto is cut away therefrom to provide edge portions for purpose of making contacts with the fourth face of an adjoining block;

3. A paving block having two vertical edges at the junction ofa reentrant side and the adjacent ends for contacting with similar blocks in one course, and a straight fourth side for contact with a vertical edge of'a block in another course.

4. A pavement composed of blocks of the character set forth in claim 1, the courses bein'g'staggered, whereby each block presents three contacts with adjacent blocks, the blocks bein otherwise spaced from the surrounding blocks, two of such contacts being made by engagement of the two edge portioiisof one bloclrwith the fourth'sides of two adjacent blocks in the contiguous course, and the third contact being made on the fourth side of the block with the meeting edge portions of two adj acent blocks of the coursecontiguous to the other side of the block.

5. A pavement composed of blocks each of which is providedwith a vertical s'ide having a" reentrant recess therein, a vertical straight side opposed to the reentrant side, a vertical inclined side provid ng an edge portion at one end of the reentrant recess and a vertical side providing an edge porfor filler being formed between the block of the first course and the two blocks of the adjoining course which are dammed by the contacting edge portions of the blocks.

6. A pavement composed of blocks each of which is provided with a vertical side having a reentrant recess therein, a vertical straight side opposed to the reentrant side, a vertical inclined side providing an edge portion at one end of the reentrant recess and a vertical side providing an edge portion at the other end of the reentrant recess; the courses being staggered whereby the edge portions of the block of a first course contact with the straight sides opposed to the reentrant sides of two similar blocks of an adjoining course; communicating spaces for filler being formed between the block of the first course and the two blocks of the adjoining course which are scribed, a paving block having a wear face, 25

a road surface engaging face, an inwardly recessed vertical side, a straight vertical side, a straight vertical end, and a vertical end inclined in direction from the inwardly recessed vertical side towards the straight verticalside.

GEORGE L. DRESSER.

Witnesses:

CHAS. S. WILLIAMS, H. D. PENNEY. 

